Renewable Energy Jobs Can Change Climate Politics, Passing the Equality Act, and More

Plus how the United States can deal with China on human rights and videos from this week to watch.

View in browser February 27, 2021 Renewable energy jobs can uplift fossil fuel communities and remake climate politics   Many Republican-leaning states and counties stand to benefit the most from a transition to a clean economy, but local politicians, residents, and businesses can view renewable energy as a threat. Adie Tomer, Joseph Kane, and Caroline George explain how policies to retrain workers in fossil fuel hubs could break America's climate stalemate and build a cleaner energy future.   Read more How the US can deal with China in the UN Human Rights Council   As the United States seeks a return to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), it will encounter attempts from China and others to change norms and undermine human rights worldwide. Ted Piccone discusses how America can reengage in the HRC and ensure that the council does not fall prey to China's goal of gridlock.   Read more What will it take for the Equality Act to actually become law?   "The Fairness for All Act has too little Democratic support to pass, and the Equality Act has too little Republican support. As written, both are dead on arrival in the Senate. But amended, the Equality Act could become a vehicle for bipartisan Senate negotiations that could add tailored religious exemptions. That kind of bill would have a real shot at winning 60 or more Senate votes and a majority in the House," argues Jonathan Rauch.   Read in The Washington Post What to watch this weekend   Limited broadband access leaves students at risk of falling behind. "The pandemic has highlighted just how intricately related lack of broadband access is to systemic inequality," says Nicol Turner Lee in this PBS NewsHour segment on the digital divide affecting millions of U.S. students during COVID-19.   The Biden administration and the MENA region. To examine upcoming priorities for the United States and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Brookings held a four-day virtual conference featuring Jordan's King Abdullah II, Iraqi President Barham Salih, and experts from around the world.   Black Americans and the middle class. On the latest episode of the Brookings Debrief, our monthly Instagram Live series, Tiffany Ford joins Timothy Higashi for a conversation about the well-being of Black middle-class Americans and policies to support them. Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often